Hasta La Gadget!

Sir Richard Branson may have already branded his Necker Nymph aero submarine with the “Virgin Oceanic” moniker, but he’s now finally taken things to the next logical (and ambitious) step. He’s just announced a new, full-fledged venture of the same name, which promises to do to nothing short of dive to the deepest part of each of the Earth’s five oceans — all within the next two years, no less. That will be done with the one-manned sub pictured above, which was designed by Graham Hawkes and will be piloted by Chris Welsh on its first dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench later this year — those two are Branson’s partners in the venture, and Branson himself is set to pilot the sub on its second mission to the Puerto Rico Trench. Not surprisingly, one of the team’s goals is to set a few world records, but they’re also planning to conduct some scientific research along the way, and are already musing about future vehicles that could collect samples and allow for more extensive research. Head on past the break for a teaser video, although we’re told it should not be assumed to reflect an actual mission.

Continue reading Richard Branson launches Virgin Oceanic to explore the ocean’s depths

Richard Branson launches Virgin Oceanic to explore the ocean’s depths originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Twitter-enabled kitty door it is not, but this RFID-equipped soda machine is by far one of the most practical DIY projects we’ve seen in sometime. A Canadian tinkerer picked up this pop pusher a few years back, and has been using it to sling drinks in his building ever since. Unfortunately, finding the right change to feed the machine proved an issue for his neighbors, so he did what any logical hacker would do, and built in a contactless payment system. Using an Arduino, an Ethernet shield, an LCD screen, and an RFID reader, he created a system that allows customers to swipe a card and easily add funds from an online account. Best of all, every time you press that little blue button you get a Mario Bros. sample. Big ups, PopCARD. Video after the break.

Continue reading RFID-enabled vending machine ditches coinage, gets Mario Bros. tone (video)

RFID-enabled vending machine ditches coinage, gets Mario Bros. tone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T has doubled the iPhone’s early upgrade fee by $50.00. This is on top of the end of contract fee that was already written up in the original contracts. It is safe to assume that this new fee will be in place for those who leave the contract for another phone service provider as well.

AT&T is also increasing the same amount for the Windows 7 phones. No word on if the increase will affect Android phone users. AT&T says the increase is a result of the rising cost of the smartphone market.

Via TG Daily

Virgin Oceanic's submarine will be able to ‘fly’ to the deepest parts of the ocean, nearly 37,000 feet below the surface. Rendering courtesy Virgin Oceanic.

Gallivanting billionaire Richard Branson is well on his way to space. Now he plans to explore the deepest parts of the ocean as well.

Branson announced his undersea exploration venture, Virgin Oceanic, on Tuesday. Unlike his suborbital-space-flight company, Virgin Galactic, the new venture is not accepting paying passengers. Instead, it will comprise only five deep-sea dives, each one carrying just one person, to the deepest points in each of the five oceans.

Virgin Oceanic tested its submarine in San Francisco Bay recently. Photo courtesy Virgin Oceanic.

To make the dives, Virgin has built a custom submarine and a flashy promotional video (see below). The sub’s cockpit has a bubble-like dome made of quartz, which can withstand 13 million pounds of pressure across its surface, Virgin says.

Overall, the sub looks a bit like an airplane, the better to “fly” to its underwater destinations. It weighs 8,000 pounds, is made of carbon fiber and titanium, and is rated to withstand pressure up to 37,000 feet below the surface. It’s not fast, though, with a maximum speed of just 3 knots and the ability to dive at 350 feet per minute, so its life-support systems are meant to last up to 24 hours.

In addition to its one human, the sub will have a water sampling system that can filter microbes and viruses from the water for later study. It will also be able to deploy unmanned probes. So far, the sub has only gone for a dip in San Francisco Bay.

Virgin Oceanic notes that sub was originally the brainchild of aviator and adventurer Steve Fossett, a friend of Branson’s, who crashed during a solo plane flight in 2007 but whose remains weren’t found until 2008.

To support and transport the sub, Virgin has retrofitted a 125-foot carbon-fiber racing catamaran with a crane, generators and lots of electronics.

The first dive will be to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, a 36,201-foot canyon deep in the western Pacific. Humans have made it to the bottom of the Mariana Trench just once before, in 1960. The commander of that expedition, Jacques Piccard, later recounted the experience of that record-setting dive.

The second dive will be to the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench, which at 28,232 feet below the surface is the deepest trench in the Atlantic Ocean. Branson himself plans to pilot the sub for this journey. Branson will be the backup pilot for the Mariana dive too, if his designated pilot is unable to do it. Three other dives are planned, each to the deepest point of other three oceans.

There’s a serious scientific purpose to Virgin Oceanic’s missions, Virgin says, with actual scientists lined up to make the most of these dives for their research into bottom-dwelling microbes, bioluminescence and seafloor geology.

But mostly, we suspect, it will be an excellent adventure for the man Wired magazine has called a “happy-go-lucky tycoon.” More power to you, Sir Richard. We’ll be watching for the IMAX movie.

The nation’s largest wireless provider should become the third to offer the wallet-friendly Android phone.

Originally posted at Android Atlas